Univ. of Akron Officially Announces Tom Wistrcill As New AD

The Univ. of Akron (UA) yesterday officially announced Univ. of Minnesota (UM) Senior Associate AD for External Relations TOM WISTRCILL as the school's new AD, according to Tom Gaffney of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. Wistrcill will not start his duties at UA "until the second half of September." Wistrcill's "sales and marketing background was put to extensive use" on UM's TCF Bank Stadium, and he "will be expected to bring his expertise in sales and marketing to sell tickets and attract sponsors in the future." Wistrcill before going to UM in '06 spent three years at the Univ. of Wisconsin as Badger Sports Properties GM (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/26). Wistrcill yesterday "did not shy away from the possibility of Akron someday leaving the Mid-American Conference." Wistrcill: "I think it's important to position ourselves to be attractive to other conferences. That means we're winning and we're doing well. The conferences are going to change. The landscape is going to continue to change. That's just the way it is going to work. So we need to be in great position" (Cleveland PLAIN DEALER, 8/26).

WHY NOT LOOK INSIDE? In Akron, Patrick McManamon questions whys UA Exec Senior Associate AD HUNTER YURACHEK was passed over for the AD position, noting the “message is confusing.” Yurachek has "done an excellent job" and he is "respected by the coaches at UA, liked by his peers and employees, and known in the community." Also, like Wistrcill, Yurachek is 39 years old and "has 17 years experience in intercollegiate athletics." McManamon: "Wouldn't it make sense that the university would want to promote its own, especially one who wants to put down roots in the area?" However, UA President LUIS PROENZA "cited several factors in hiring Wistrcill." Proenza: "The range of Tom's experience. The breadth as we say." McManamon noted UA used Dallas-based Eastman & Beaudine Inc. to conduct its AD search (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/26).